Chapter 5

Chapter Five

JOY

“I can’t get over how breathtaking this place is,” I tell Devin as we make our way back to the barn. I had such a good time with him showing me around. “I can get why you keep it tucked away.”

“I enjoy my privacy.”

I glance over to Devin sitting on top of his solid black stallion and think, Damn, he’s hot . He controls the horse with such ease that it’s easy to tell he’s a cowboy through and through. While riding over the property, I had the opportunity to meet a few of the men who work on his ranch. Watching him talk with them and at times take action when extra hands were needed was something else.

“Privacy is a luxury when you live in a small town,” I say, but it’s not all bad. People can be nosy in Mittenville, but along with that, there’s a sense of community by knowing each other. I suppose there’s good and bad with everything in life. I adore the town for the most part, but I’ve definitely had to pick my fair share of poisons.

“It’s not too difficult to stay out of it.” Devin shrugs. “I don’t enjoy people in my business.”

"Well, then, it might not have been the best idea to move a woman into your house and almost come to blows with her cousin," I point out.

I’m not going to mention how I’ve already gotten a few texts from people in town who saw men moving my belongings out of the apartment over my cousin's garage. They want to know where I've gone, but I'm sure word will spread soon enough.

Devin’s grunt is his only response.

We fall silent as we head into the barn, but it's not an awkward one. In fact, it's refreshing to simply exist without feeling the need to fill the quiet. We seem to be quickly getting comfortable being around each other. In fact, it's happening much faster than I anticipated. It's almost as if this natural flow is exactly as it should be.

Devin dismounts first before coming over to me and offering me his hand to help me down. I accept, but as soon as my feet touch the ground, my knees begin to buckle. Devin grabs my hips so I don’t fall on my ass.

“I should have warned you about that since you haven’t ridden in a while,” he says.

My fingers are tightly gripping the front of his coat, and my body is pressed against him. I can feel every inch of him and smell his woodsy, wintery scent. I didn't know a man could smell so damn good.

“Thanks.” I try to step back, but my legs won’t work.

“Just give it a second. You might want to soak in a hot bath tonight. You’re gonna be sore.”

“You do have quite the nice tub,” I manage to respond while my brain catches up to my body and how it’s melting into his. A warmth blooms deep in my stomach.

“You can use it any time.” Devin’s eyes drop to my mouth, and it makes me involuntarily lick my lips.

This is not good. I’ve got to get away from this man. I need to stop thinking about him kissing me because that's where my thoughts are heading. No matter how badly I want it.

“Think I’m good.” I step back and almost run into Pearl. Devin's hands release my hips, but the firmness he'd used to hold me lingers on my skin. "Do I, ah..." I start to ask, averting my gaze from him as I attempt to gather my thoughts. I’m working here. “Do I put her back in this stall?" I run my fingers down the side of Pearl's neck, and she leans into my touch. She’s a sweetheart of a horse.

“Let me show you how to get her settled in. It’s good for you to know how to get her ready for a ride and then how to bring her back. In case you ever need to use her in a hurry.”

“In a hurry?”

“Things can go sideways quickly on a ranch, and sometimes you have to move your ass. I’ll teach you how to use the four-wheeler and gator too. If you live on a ranch, you need to know how everything works and operates. It’s for everyone’s safety, even if you don’t use some of them on a daily basis.”

“That makes sense,” I say and nod in understanding.

Devin shows me how to put Pearl back into her stall and dress her down. He hands me an apple to feed her while he goes over and takes care of his horse.

“I need to make a few calls. Why don’t we head back in?" Devin says, and I follow him out of the barn and back toward the house.

“You should put some lights up.” I say it more as an afterthought, but he perks up.

“Christmas lights?”

“Yeah, I think it would be really pretty.” His home was made for it.

“I’ve never done anything for Christmas before.”

“Really?” I guess it’s not so surprising since he’s out here on his own.

Devin’s hand touches my lower back as we go up the porch steps.

“Never felt the need to.” He shrugs, and I wonder if he spends every holiday alone.

“So you don’t do anything?”

Devin opens the back door for me, and it leads into the mud room. When I start to take off my coat he answers me.

“Nope. I let the guys off, so I’ll oversee the ranch myself and tend the animals.”

“Oh.” That sounds depressing, and I have the sudden urge to give Devin a proper Christmas.

“What about you?”

“I was supposed to go to my aunt’s because my mom is going on a girls’ cruise, but I’m not so sure about that now.” I want to ask about his family, but I don’t. He keeps saying how much he enjoys his privacy, so I decide not to poke where he doesn’t want me. We have been getting along so well today.

“That Kent’s mother?”

“Yep.” I sit down on the bench to take my boots off, but to my surprise, Devin drops down on one knee in front of me. He grabs the heel of my boot and pulls, and it slips right off. He does the same to the other one, and I smile at him. “Thank you.” We both stand, and when I unzip his coat, he doesn’t stop me. It's all so intimate, but again, it feels right. “What if I plan something for us for Christmas?”

“You mean spend it together?”

“It could be fun.” I give him a smile, trying to tempt him into it.

“All right.” He lets me take the coat off him, and I hang it on the hook next to mine. “You plan it, and I’ll get whatever you need.”

“I can do that,” I agree, but I’d really enjoy it if we did it together. “I can even decorate the house.”

“You can do anything you like. I’ll see about getting the lights hung. I don’t want you trying to do it yourself.”

I find myself leaning into him, and once more, Devin stares at my mouth. This time I don't try to get away from his kiss, and when he starts to lean down, I let my eyes fall closed.

“I’ll go make those calls,” he suddenly says and backs away from me abruptly. When I open my eyes, I see he’s practically on the other side of the room. “You should see about your stuff. My men left it in the entryway.”

Heat rushes to my cheeks, and they burn with embarrassment. Have I read all of our interactions wrong? I don’t get a chance to respond before Devin is already hightailing it out of the mud room and leaving me wondering what the hell just happened.